The Best Compact Impact Driver

[@joelrodriguez9661]

Great video. Just as a note. The Bosch Impact Driver that is being tested in two generations old. The current generation is the GDR18V-1860. And the next generation GDR18V-1950 will be available in October in the US.

[@kutapio]

Am a Bosch fan in the US. Glad they are coming out with new products. Hopefully we see their tabless batteries over here soon.

[@joelrodriguez9661]

@@kutapio I'm with you on the tabless batteries. I hope we see them here in the US soon.

[@jeffmorefield]

I have the Dewalt 860, and it's a beast! Excellent work my friend.

[@afellowinnewengland6142]

Wow, what an incredible amount of data and work on your part! That was a LOT of testing, so thank you for the hard work and effort. My takeaway is that real world results on the lag bolts doesn't always correlate perfectly with the dyno results. Also, Hilti continues to be a head scratcher for me, as I'm not really sure what it brings to the table at that price point...Which brings me to a video suggestion. I'm sure it would be a lot of work, but could you design a durability test for the top 5 finishers to measure actual reliability/durability. That's probably very important to a lot of pros and homeowners alike. The Flex is powerful, but does it last as long as the others before bearings or the motor give out? Does the Hilti make up for weaker performance with a longer lifespan? I'd love to know who is the king of durability. Keep up the good work.

[@Nicky14P]

I assume that Hilti takes a lot of pride in their durability. They have a 20 year limited warranty which is insane.

[@johngillies8591]

26 yrs HVAC mechanic, first half of career mostly used M18 impact driver, tried M12 b/c of difference in size and weight, haven't turned back! I have had my most recent I bought around 6-8 yrs now, and it still works the same as day 1. Ive given that M12 hell and treated it with total disregard everyday, it's unreal toe the quality and d performance of Milwaukee, and that's w all their power tools. Someone would really have to overwhelm me in order to change

[@williamtexeira6671]

I also went from 18ah to 12ah Milwaukee impact, big difference in weight not so much in torque, it’s a game changer💯

[@alimuh007]

I started with a 18v Dewalt back in '07 and progressed to the 12v Bosch and found the 12v Milwaukee in '13. I have been sold ever since. I'm a H.V.A.C/R. tech and I don't need the 18v-plus power tools. The portability and performance of the smaller tools allow me to save money, save space in my toolbox, and save strain on my body. I am eagerly awaiting Flex to offer a 12v variation.

[@ChicaneMedia]

Is it really not that much difference in torque especially for the impact and drill? I'm a automotive technician and sometimes those bolts are tight and seized

[@thereitroche1622]

No way dude the torque of the 12v compared to the 18v is insanely different. I get super surprised everytime I pull out my 18v now which is not often, but only when I need more power and runtime, and it just rips compared to the 12v. 12v is awesome, but it's not even close.

[@thereitroche1622]

Next time you're running a lag screw test then side by side. Or even a 3" deck screw will show you.

[@ElectroAtletico]

Yep! I can confirm the 100% accuracy of these results. With my Hercules compact impact the performance is noticeably better when I use the 4ah EP battery instead of the 2.5ah. Can't comment how it performs with the 8ah because I don't own one of those large battery stacks. 👍 to this vd.

[@ThePainkiller3666]

There's little difference between running the 4ah and the 8ah, the 8ah mainly gives you longer run time, but the trade off is the tool feels completely out of balance. I can't run my brushless impact driver with a 2.5ah it bogs down instantly, not problem with the 4,5,8ah. And the 2.5ah works ok with my old brushed impact driver so that's a wierd issue. I use the 2.5ah batteries only on my lights/radio now.

[@bm2618]

3:50 why I love the makita 40v line it’s consistent using all the batteries. Don’t feel cheated by using a lower amp battery

[@Tools-Tested]

Yeah the 40v Makita line has good performance.

[@TrixieDK]

Great video! Next I would like to see the newest Bosch tested. In Europe it's called GDR 18V-220 C

[@StevesWoodshopandToolRev-sk7vg]

This is the best produced and edited head to head tool test I’ve seen on KZbin. I love the head to head at the end that puts the winner against the next competitor. Very well done , love it !

[@riba2233]

Yep, no bs just a lot of info presented very clearly!

[@minamatta6135]

the amount of work went into making this vide is insane keep going booss

[@Tools-Tested]

Thanks for noticing! will do!

[@iangregoryhome]

Nice to see all the major brands represented for a change, unlike most channels 👍

[@mattc7270]

Excellent as usual. Thank you for all the details.

[@TooljunkieDave5215]

Dang I really like your layout of your videos!!! Good job on that and good job with the detailed work on your content.

[@ProxyFinal]

the bosch is releasing the real compact impact driver possibly in the future with quick collet. Also, for Metabo HPT, you need to go with the Triple Hammer as being the most compact. The HPT you tested is just a low budget tool and falls more in line with subcompact.

[@GAMP-b2s]

Great test as usual, but I'm not sure why you included the ancient (2019) Bosch 1800 model. The newer and more powerful (with speed settings) GDR18V-1860 model is $99. Also, Bosch just announced a new GDR18V-1950 model which will be released in the next couple of weeks. I hope you'll consider testing either of these new models.

[@riba2233]

1860 has the same power more or less, 1950 would be interesting but in general bosch impact drivers are on the weak side

[@CALDues]

Amazing comparison, data, format, dedication effort etc. That was the be all end all for the top brands. Thanks!

[@Tools-Tested]

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

[@TheSonofabiscuit]

Been running Flex since the tools first came out, and can definitely say it was worth the risk

[@Tools-Tested]

Yeah I just hope they keep building out the line.

[@alimuh007]

I started with a 18v Dewalt back in '07 and progressed to the 12v Bosch and found the 12v Milwaukee in '13. I have been sold ever since. I'm a H.V.A.C/R. tech and I don't need the 18v-plus power tools. The portability and performance of the smaller tools allow me to save money, save space in my toolbox, and save strain on my body. I am eagerly awaiting Flex to offer a 12v variation.

[@Tools-Tested]

Yeah a 12v flex line would be sweet, maybe they would go the 14v route like snap on.

[@james2042]

The winner in value as usual is the hercules. The low torque of the HPT is expected, they tend to gear their drivers toward speed of small fasteners. The ridgid subcompact and the ryobi gen2 compact would be good options to test here, and the new tabless 4ah's would be an interesting swing for both

[@riba2233]

He tested ridgid subcompact already

[@durantplayz7111]

I think the newer and better triple hammer bolt is more compact then the DEX. I could be wrong tho

[@jaymedina3142]

Bought the Hercules systems last year. So far so good.

[@Tools-Tested]

Yeah they seem good so far.

[@GarenP]

Would like to see the new Ridgid subcompact tested with the new tabless batteries that are now available online as of last week.

[@JalapenoSteve]

I would be interested in how these tools stack up in a stress test. word is that some of these models break more often than others.

[@KeijonAutoVuokra]

Damn that hercules is surprisingly good at driving screws. That line chart is nice but it could use a background for contrast

[@reaperreaper5098]

Trigger and ergos on it kinda suck, but that’s somewhat excusable when when it’s packing Milwaukee-esqe performance at Ryobi-esqe prices

[@three-phase562]

These are packing quite a punch now, I could probably replace my older 1/2 Ryobi impact driver with any one of these and save some weight and space in a loadout. Appreciate all the effort you put inti this 👍👍

[@juhs]

Good test 👍 torque isn't the end all be all for these so multiple tests show the real picture. Personally I do like the m18 platform as there are countless other tools that the batteries can utilize. Jump into the flex platform and you're really going to be limited. I hate juggling multiple battery types and all of the chargers, I just stick with m18/m12 and most of those lines are in the top tier. Some specialty tools I prefer other brands but if it's just a slight increase in performance it's not worth it to me to invest into another platform

[@Xaluber]

Love the new line chart

[@riba2233]

Great review and graphs, really liked it! I have makita td002g and I am very happy with it, power is not the best but more than enough and in every other aspect it is top of the line imho.

[@saiiiiiii1]

Also love it 👍

[@UncleIvan1]

The best

[@UncleIvan1]

@riba2233 love the duel spring on that impact, I don't run the 40v line, but bought it for my friend and the whole crew if fighting over it

[@riba2233]

@@UncleIvan1 yeah, 2nd spring is great for small fasteners :)

[@bm2618]

Great video!

[@Tools-Tested]

Thanks!

[@EdwinLopez-he4yn]

Surprised the Hercules was on top of the Milwaukee and the DeWalt… but it’s cheap and it’s powerful. Good combo there

[@Tools-Tested]

Yep

[@Team3602]

I love your videos man! If you could at some point test out that new stubby 1/2 kobalt impact wrench that would be awesome.

[@toolscientist]

That's well displayed data. The first 2:40 has more info than other channels show in 15min.

[@durantplayz7111]

I'm not complaining and appreciate your video but why not use the HPT triple hammer instead of they're weakest impact driver? If you were baseing it off the "compact " labeling then would u use the flex compact instead of the quick eject?

[@Tools-Tested]

Had the base HPT already, just couldn’t justify spending more on this video. Hopefully in the next comparison I will have the triple hammer.

[@durantplayz7111]

@Tools-Tested no worries I was just confused at first but I understand. I appreciate your time and effort

[@Grace11523]

Do you have any plans to test a new Dewalt hydraulic impact driver?

[@alexbulich5787]

I’ve tried them all- Metabo HPT is the best imo

[@Tools-Tested]

It's a nice impact.

[@EthanSaladino]

Id like to see kobalt, hart and bauer in there too but great video

[@Tools-Tested]

Hopefully next year! Thanks!

[@2down4up]

Awesome video as always! Doesn’t Ridgid make a compact or even sub compact impact driver? Maybe they don’t but whenever I think compact, Ridgid is always at the front of my mind. Maybe I’m dumb lol. Regardless great test work! Can’t wait to see what you do next!

[@Felix的DIY生活]

About 100 dollars you get hercules kit that includes 2ah battery, good charger.right now you also get an extra 4ah battery. 5/3 years warranty. What can I say.🤣

[@sebastianortiz861]

Excellent video

[@Tools-Tested]

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

[@Freesteader]

Thanks TT

[@msk3905]

Could be camera angle but looks like you are pushing down on the Hercules during the driving tests

[@Tools-Tested]

Both have about the same force applied, to keep them on the lag. Thats the trick with this test, always some error to factor in.

[@Veau88]

Awesome test… best tests and graphs on youtube… missed the 36v bolt that ive been wanting to see

[@brandonhackley7067]

All the bosh tool I have used lack power and they over heat super fast. And they are pricey as well

[@Tools-Tested]

Yep and the US is always last to receive the new versions.

[@HeroOfTime303]

Nice video. However, it's perplexing that you didn't include the Metabo HPT Triple hammer bolt 18v. It's smaller than the WH18DEX. I got mine in a 2 battery kit for $130.

[@robertrada4783]

The fancy version of that Bosch (same tool but with multiple settings, connected) is $99 bare tool all day. New one coming out in October that’s half the size and just a smidge more powerful. They’ve never been powerful, though. I love not powerful impacts though: Makita, Hilti, Metabo (actual Metabo), Bosch. Not a fan of Milwaukee nor HikokitaboHPV impacts. If it takes a socket, I have impact wrenches for that…and usually the weakest ones. 😂

[@UnderBakedOverEngineered]

I wouldn't want to be the person to do the actual testing, but endurance under stress is the only real missing metric. The very consistant performance of the Makitas means they have made deliberate choices to limit power, which only makes sense if you are thinking of how you deal with the residuals of power consumption. Does it actually pay off? Do they maintain better steady state performance over an hour/day? Do they have a significantly longer MTBF? Do they have less vibration to avoid injury from constant use? Then again, it is Makita. Maybe it's another JDM manufactuerers getlemans agreement on power. Excited to see the BL4040F show up for serious testing though

[@Tools-Tested]

Yeah would love to do some durability testing, but I end up reselling the tools so I can buy more. The BL4040F showed its performance boost in the new grinder video with the GAG14.

[@EliotTruelove]

Can't wait till the Makita XDT20 comes out, I'd love to see how it performs. A spec sheet was leaked a few days ago, and it seems to be the american version of the TD173, but id be curious how it compares. The specs leaked show it has 1590 in pounds which is 132.5ftlbs, which would be the top of the list if true.

[@ZeroFallout1]

Flex is for guys with big hands. Hercules for the value. Dewalt, Makita, Milwaukee for the large tool platforms. I've used the Big 3 and I find Makita the smoothest and precise. Milwaukee really needs to come out with a small pouch battery like the 1.7 powerstack. All of their batteries are big even the 2ah. A Makita with a 2ah or Dewalt with 1.7ah is a pleasure to use all day.

[@ritarooevans1897]

I would buy Milwaukee or flex if I had the money but man I love my Hercules. Dewalt hasn’t treated me bad in the past either.

[@timweb1510]

The Hercules trash is almost in the same price range as the m12 fuel if you return the extras in the combo deals. Harbor freight sells trash

[@Veau88]

Why no 36v metabo bolt?

[@Jeff-rk8hq]

I’d really love to see a Cpl of the new impulse drivers ppl been talking about like the dcf870 as well as the new hikoki WHP18da but even more than the DA is the more interesting one imo that is the WHP18DBDL which o haven’t seen on a yt channel o didn’t have to use subtitles for lol but it looked nice and also was a 14.4V & 18v tool so different type multivolt which I haven’t seen too many of but also if you do end up testing the hydraulic drivers I have one of the Ridgid r86036 stealth drivers id be happy to let ya test (I have 2)

[@harlanborders943]

Kinda strange why not use every ones bottom brushless models. I noticed a few were lower end while others were high end brushless model’s

[@JB-ot9hi]

Why not include the Ridgid 4 mode R862312?

[@Tools-Tested]

Just didn't have the dollar, few other models I wanted to add. Hopefully I can test it in the next part.

[@Shootsmith]

No Ryobi?

[@inhumanunion1223]

Makita is just the right size with enough power to get the job done with a 2.5. If I'm running long lags I'll throw on the 5.0. It's dependable AF

[@joeludwig8636]

I have the Hilti - it’s pricey but if you can buy second hand, great equality build. The Bosch is underwhelming - but I haven’t tried to newer models. Milwaukee is always good with impacts but they never last.

[@baseballdude8491]

Triple Hammer 36V all day is out go to on jobsites for what impact.drivers are for

[@boosted2.4_sky]

Alot of good data there.. Personally, I'd like to see the Ridgid and Kobalt compete...👍

[@miketimmerman6336]

As an owner of the XTR and Next Gen, there is nothing compact about either Kobalt option. The XTR is a full inch longer than the Hercules.

[@boosted2.4_sky]

@@miketimmerman6336 Ridgid has a subcompact option 🫤

[@army62b]

Most of these will break a 1/4” bit. I love my Makita XDT19 and almost never use it on power 4

[@baseballdude8491]

Best for what Most torque? Ok but driving large lags works better with impact wrench and long lags a hammer drill with clutch is way faster and quieter As far as what an impact is mostly used for decking screws and other smaller fasteners, too much torque and power actually can be a detriment "Best" depends on the application "Most torque" is a better label for this test

[@MarkGreutman]

I need a new impact driver. I guess I'm going to Harbor Freight.

[@Tools-Tested]

Yeah its a good value.

[@dcrt08one30]

"Best" can mean a lot of things. This is a good review but not many reviews provide or encourage reliability, durability, or warranty info. I might trade off a little performance for a more reliable tool or one that has better support.

[@ccbowers]

Great video. This is multiple videos worth of data all wrapped up into one. Even the great stuff coming out of PF or TTC is not this dense. I like it, but it seems like you could spare yourself some by making 2 videos from one like this. Unless you are overflowing with ideas for videos.

[@turyrosa81]

Where are festool, mafell and the real METABO. Top brand

[@Tools-Tested]

Hopefully in part 2

[@taylanlowe120]

Missing ridgid. They are often times better than half of these bottom tier ones. Better than makita in a lot of instances id say

[@Tools-Tested]

Add for part 2, Thanks!

[@Hunter-vl6ft]

I like ryobi because nobody steals them out of my van. The big 3 are great, but if you have to replace them every other month they arnt worth it.

[@cakeisalie]

for $100, the Hercules looks like a nice fleet tool

[@josephabela1922]

The problem if it will outlast the big guns. But than again I have to admit that I am biased with team red Milwaukee.

[@army62b]

That xdt 13…… xdt 19 is the current available and it’s not really the newest.

[@harlanborders943]

The 14 seems to be the sleeper of Makita.

[@Pro1er]

I don't dislike Bosch battery tools, I have several of them but I'm never impressed with their performance which make me wonder how they can still sell tools in the US.

[@juanc5149]

The dcf860 hits significantly harder in reverse, which is weird because it’s an impact driver.

[@Tools-Tested]

Yeah I found that odd.

[@ethanmunger3374]

They already have a ton of power. They break bits all the time. So I don't think they need more power in forward.But then if you do use it as a mechanic some it has more power in reverse for breaking stuff loose.

[@framaricic]

36v for metabo

[@Tools-Tested]

Will do!

[@Veau88]

Something wrong with herc tool or battery… many people have used that combo with success

[@jcurdaneta]

Putting that Skil with just a 2 ah battery was a disservice…

[@Tools-Tested]

Actually performed better in most cases with the 2ah, 21700's.

[@ex8280]

People who do physical work don't want to think, let alone press some cheat code to change the drill modes while working. It's one of the major flaw of the milwaukee impact wrench and the m12 installation driver.

[@mak4374]

I am sorry but the Bosch is a five year old model, so why did you choose that one?!? Just to get a battery kit? I do not understand, they have much better ones, that one is basically their cheapest model (kinda surprising you got it so expensive, given that when it comes with a drill combo, it is cheaper than what you paid for just the driver!). I am not saying their "better" stuff is much more powerfull, but they ARE a better value and definetly better bit holders and other bells and whistles. Weird choice.

[@riba2233]

What model numbers?

[@afellowinnewengland6142]

The model he tested is the one that's in stock at my local Lowe's and hardware stores. I'm guessing realistic availability is a factor here in the testing which is fine. Honestly though, it wouldn't have made a big difference. Bosch does things the Bosch way and doesn't pay much attention to this kind of testing.

[@engineer_alv]

Their newer model is the GDR18V-1860C with speed modes and bluetooth. Otherwise RPMs and IPMs are unchanged. There is a newer model in Europe and Asia but there is no word when it's coming to North America

[@tlakepake7668]

Send him the tool you want the FLEX to spank, I mean the tool you want him to test, and I am sure he will test it.

[@cdee6096]

I am personally going to move away from Bosch. I bought in to the platform about 12 yrs ago and they were great back then. I have a few thousand dollars invested in Bosch tools. But Milwaukee provides a much better selection of tools and perform better. I will always have some Bosch but new tools will be Milwaukee.

[@imgmauro0620]

No Ryobi 😮

[@DustbowlMic]

My 12ah battery works fine on my Hercules impact driver. That's weird.

[@michaelhess4825]

Do you use or resell all the lags? And all the actual gear you test? Or do you have a massive bunker to store it all in? 😂

[@sabas7007]

👍

[@brianf9619]

The Hercules is Definitely a Beast , but the Downside is the rest of there Platform Sucks ......

[@Gabriel-i1z1z]

The pros of today are starting to use the lesser brands do to price. Non pros are using top brands because they belive in showing off there name brand tools

[@Tools-Tested]

Yep all of these nowadays are quite powerful.

[@weliveonearth8012]

I normally like your reviews but this has major problems. From the very first shot you can see these "compact" impact drivers are not equal in size. The Flex is by no means "compact" as motor looks to be double the size of the smaller ones. You also tested older models for some like Bosch and Makita, and if you were going to include the bigger models like Flex then you should have included HPT triple hammer b/c it's probably the same size or smaller. The video should also be called "most powerful" not "best" as you didn't consider issues like weight, dimensions, comfort/ergonomics, reliability and barely touched on features. Basically just power and cost are considered. For an air compressor, that's fine b/c grip, comfort, ergonomics, size, weight, etc don't really matter...but on an impact driver those factors are by far more important than maximum power (unless you primarily drive large fasteners all day long) or cost (unless you tend to lose your tools). Sad that you put so much work into this for such a misleading and impractical review. The Milwaukee might be the best all-round but even then it doesn't have the pointed nose of the Makita or HPT that gets into corners, and for my taste the Makita and HPT have better grip/comfort/ergonomics. Another thing to note about the Makita is that it looks to be the smallest even with the larger sized battery. With a 2.0 (which will cover most applications) there's no competition. This whole compact thing is just like with vehicles, you can't (honestly) compare an actual compact sedan or pickup to a modern version claiming to be compact but actually medium-large.

[@afellowinnewengland6142]

Someone call the waambulance!

[@TheSonofabiscuit]

I started reading, clicked read more.. said fuk that lol

[@keysautorepair6038]

The 24v wins the Hercules 2 2.5 and 5 amp battery’s are high star battery’s no name garbage.

[@joeludwig8636]

I have the Hilti - it’s pricey but if you can buy second hand, great equality build. The Bosch is underwhelming - but I haven’t tried to newer models. Milwaukee is always good with impacts but they never last.